TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Experts said Taiwan’s youth mental health problems are worsening in response to a National Taiwan University report showing that youth suicides have risen significantly in recent years.
NTU’s Children and Family Research Center report, released Wednesday, compares Taiwan's youth statistics to those of OECD countries. The report showed Taiwan’s youth suicide rate was seven per 100,000 in 2023, compared to the OECD average of 6.5, up from 4.5 in 2021, per UDN.
The report notes that suicide rates among Taiwanese youth changed little between 1990 and 2015, and increased after that. The rate dipped slightly in 2020 before continuing to rise.
Experts said the suicide rate may be related to changing family dynamics. However, the NTU report stated that more research is needed to determine the cause.
NTU Sociology Department Associate Professor Kuo Chen-lan (郭貞蘭) said the report shows the mental health of youths and social support should be the focus of policy making. She said the worsening mental health statistics show Taiwan has family development issues that need addressing.
NTU Institute of Health Behaviors and Community Sciences Director Chang Shu-sen (張書森) said that the increased suicide rate, more divorces, and internet usage are positively correlated. He added young people should be helped to respond to changes in the family.
Chang said negative stereotypes about children in single-parent families may contribute to mental health problems. He also said increased social media usage and content describing self-harm may have impacted teenagers' attitudes toward mental health.
Chang also noted research that showed more teenagers believe suicide is a personal right, and said norms are changing. A 2023 Taiwan Public Health Association report showed that 75% of Taiwanese aged 15-24 held this view in 2020.
The education ministry gave some students three days of mental health leave last February in response to student campaigns against on-campus suicide and self-harm. In July, the health ministry expanded mental health support by allocating NT$336 million (US$10.3 million) for free mental health consultations for people aged 15 to 45.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said in November that the government would implement more mental health programs for young and middle-aged people, in addition to the program announced in July. The government’s mental health policy involves improving services, treatment for violence, sexual assault, and addiction, and “integrating mental health into all policies,” according to the Cabinet.
